A Dark Lord Rising
by Vanilla and Cotton
Summary: ~Holes~ Have you ever wondered what things were like when X-Ray was still Rex? A story that covers his arrivial, all the way up to becoming leader of the D-Tent.


This is the third story from Vanilla and Cotton, and the second 'Holes' fic that we've started. Aren't you all so lucky? We had the idea to do this a long time ago; it's just taken a while to get it done.  
  
Disclaimer: If you recognize anyone from Holes, then you know that we don't own them. However, we do own Radar, Dim, IQ, Pansy, Xeno, and Zap. We spent, like, forever trying to think them up, so you should appreciate that. LEAVE THE PRECIOUSES ALONE!!!  
  
That's about it. Please review!!!  
  
~Vanilla~  
  
******************************************  
  
X-Ray started up at the top of the tent, completely awake, even though it was well past midnight. He could tell that the rest of the D-Tent boys were just as far from sleep as he was. His thoughts wandered freely from one topic to the next. After wondering what his mom was thinking about right at that moment, his train of thought switched to the newly filled cot. The previous owner had been sent to the hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake; it had been a deliberate attempt to get away. The cot's new owner was some city boy: Stanley.  
  
X-Ray heard someone shift a few cots away, and a moment later Magnet was sitting straight up.  
  
"I can't sleep," the Hispanic boy stated, and X-Ray heard Armpit groan.  
  
"Yeah, well no one else will get to if you don't shut up." He said, with agitation obvious in his voice.  
  
"You need a bedtime story or somethin'?" Squid asked tauntingly.  
  
"What was it like when you were new here, X?" Magnet asked, ignoring Squid's teasing. The question caused X-Ray to sit up as well.  
  
"Why do you wanna know?" D-Tent's leader asked cautiously.  
  
"I'm curious," Magnet replied with a shrug, "But if you don't wanna tell about when you were a newbie, that's fine. I don't want you to be embarrassed." X-Ray smirked.  
  
"I'll tell you," he answered, "but you better pay attention; there's no way you'd ever get me to say it all again. It's a long story." X-Ray dove deep into his thoughts, and then began to recount the path that had turned him into a leader.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Rex nervously followed Mr. Pendanski into the tent labeled D. He wasn't sure of what to expect, and wasn't too fond of the feeling.  
  
Rex saw all the boys in his "new home" look up at him and Mr. Pendanski as they walked into the tent. "Come here boys, I want you to meet Rex. Rex, this is Cliff, Ethan, Seth, Romeo, Ashley, and Zane," he said as he pointed to the six other boys.  
  
"Look Mom, those aren't us right? We're Dim, Zap, IQ, Xeno, Pansy and I'm Radar," said Zane in an annoyed tone as he pointed to each of the boys in the same order that Mr. Pendanski had.  
  
"Yes, yes. The boys have given each other nicknames that they like to be called. But I always call them by the names their parents gave them, isn't that right Zane?" Mr. Pendanski said.  
  
"Ya, whatever Mom."  
  
"Well, now that we've got that settled, I think I'll leave you boys alone to get acquainted." With a far too cheery smile, Mr. Pendanski left the tent.  
  
"So then Rex," Radar said, studying him closely, "they already explain everything to you?" Rex nodded, not sure if he should say anything. Radar smiled.  
  
"Good, that saves me a bit of time." he said, "Now why don't you take a seat and we can get 'acquainted.'" Rex took a seat on the cot that Radar was pointing to.  
  
"You're scaring him, Radar," Pansy piped up, quickly pushing his short, blonde hair back.  
  
"Compared to when you first came here, he's taking this really well," Radar retorted, "you were practically shaking when you first showed up in the tent." Pansy scowled, yet Radar continued. "The only guy I didn't scare was Xeno, and that's probably just because he couldn't understand what we were saying."  
  
"I understand you fine," Xeno said with a strong accent that Rex couldn't place.  
  
"Xeno speaks more Italian than English," Radar explained, turning back to Rex.  
  
Personally, Rex wasn't all too frightened by Radar. He was rather tall, with spiky black hair, and nearly Asian skin. What was most intimidating about him had to be his attitude.  
  
"So what felony have you been recently accused of whether falsely or no that you have been sent to a juvenile correctional facility for males?" IQ asked him. All Rex could do was blink and try to piece all the words together.  
  
"Speak English," yelled Zap, a boy with dark brown hair, extremely pale skin, and electric blue eyes, from the other side of the room.  
  
"Sorry," IQ grinned, "why're you here?"  
  
Rex found this much easier to understand. "Drug dealing." He said simply. Radar's eyes widened a bit.  
  
'You ever sell any to Dim here?" he asked Rex, "He's here for using drugs. They did something funny to his head. Believe me, his name's Dim for a reason." Dim blinked stupidly, as if he was barely aware that he was being discussed.  
  
"They were fake," Rex said hastily. Radar smiled broadly.  
  
"Even better. And no one ever hunted you down for it?" Rex shook his head.  
  
"Hmmm," Radar looked about the tent; seeming to do a head count. "That leaves Pansy."  
  
"Can I speak for myself?" Pansy asked, "I'm worried about what you'd say."  
  
"You're just afraid I'd insult Mr. Snuffl-thing again," Radar said calmly, though he stepped back a bit, giving Pansy free reign to talk about himself.  
  
"It's Mr. Snuzzlekins," he said in a hurt tone. "I named him myself."  
  
"It's his cat," Radar told Rex quietly, "if you ask he'll show you the picture."  
  
"You shouldn't talk about him like that," Pansy stated, clearly sulking, "it could hurt his feelings." Radar muttered something under his breath that sounded strangely like 'girly-man.'  
  
Radar stood up from his cot. "Come on, dinner." Some of the other boys were already walking out of the tent. Rex stood up and followed Radar out the door. 


End file.
